Engaging in healthy sexual decision making: The role of protective factors from an ecological systems perspective

A sample of 235 emerging adults at a southeastern university was surveyed about past and current sexual decision-making. Researchers investigated the role of protective factors in early and current sexual decision-making to better understand what factors positively influence healthy sexual decision-making (HSDM). Researchers hypothesized that the more protective factors experienced, the higher likelihood healthy sexual decisions would be made. Three healthy sexual decision-making scales were created (early, current-in a relationship, and current-not in a relationship) using five variables (monogamy, sexual discussions, drug/alcohol use, condom use, and female birth control use). Ten independent variables (age, gender, race/ethnicity, early religiosity, community quality, sex education, comfort in communication, parental monitoring, self-esteem, and extra-curricular activities) were entered into a hierarchical multiple regression with early HSDM as the dependent variable. Seven independent variables (age, gender, race/ethnicity, current religiosity, sex education, comfort in communication, self-esteem, and early HSDM) were entered into two hierarchical multiple regressions for both current-HSDM-in a relationship and current HSDM-not in a relationship. Results suggest that parental monitoring was the only protective factor that was a significant predictor of early healthy sexual decision-making when controlling for other variables. For both current-HSDM scales, early HSDM was a significant predictor of healthy sexual decision-making. Therefore, early healthy sexual decision-making is essential in creating the foundation for healthy sexual decision-making in the future. Emphasis should also be put on this important opportunity parents have to help their children develop into healthy sexual adults by way of parental monitoring.

Health issues such as pelvic floor muscle (PFM) dysfunction can impact the wellbeing of young women, detrimentally altering sexual and urinary function that can continue throughout their lives (Rosenbaum & Owens, 2008). ...

Sexual Victimization is a major issue in our society. The results of sexual victimization can persist throughout life and can be debilitating. Sexual victimization affects mental, sexual, and physical health. College women ...

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